The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-29

tCopy of transcript of minutes of meeting of Dvis
ion II of National District No. 1881
That We the representatives of the mining craft of
the SchuyikiH region. in convention assembled,
tend to brothers of the Philadelphia & Reading
cheer and pledge to them moral, financial and all
other aid possible.
City and Shamokin that everything was tied up
at those points, and that the men were firm In
their determination to stay out until all existing
troubles were satisfactorily settled.
General Strike Expected.
Special to the Indianapolis Joa-na.
! READING, Dec. 28-The latest strike reports
indicate that reaction is setting in. and that
| the Reading Railroad Company will not be able
TO fill the places of their striking employees
easily as they anticipated. There is serious
trouble at Shamokin, Pottsville. Trackville.
| Palo Alto and Mahanoy Plane. Everybody con-
nected with the train service struck at these
stations to-day. and the freight and coal traffic
| is virtually blocked. Superintendent McLawler
of the Mahanoy and Shamokiu division, put
erAl crews to work at Shamokin today,
1 but very little wok accomplished. The
Reading officials in the city are not feeling SO
elated tonight; the sky is not so bright, and
their smiling faces have changed There is ser
| ious trouble brewing. and unless the company
! hurries mp its reinforcements of new men, they
are likely to experience a block which will not
only require several days, but weeks, to remove.
! The men are orderly. but determined. They
| say that they have been on the run for day or
| two but have settled down. and decided to
make a stand. The Reading company sent
three or four thousand coal and freight cars
down the main line during the past twenty-four
hours. The cars had been tied up above Read
ing since last week.
1t is rumored tonight that general strike,
not only among railroads, but sand coal miners
will bs the result of the meeting to be called to
meet here tomorrow night by the Knights of
Labor. The Reading company have warned
all its employees against attending Knights of
Labor meeting during working hours under
penalty of dismissal. 1t is said that officials Will
watch all persons attending the convention, and
in case OF any enploye attending the meeting
they will be promptly dismissed. Several hun
dred old train employees who struck last week
were paid of here to-day and discharged
To the Western Associated Press
READING. Pa, Dec 28-Coal and freight
traffic by this morning was firmly re-establisbed
on the main line of the Reading railroad. Up
to noon to-day twenty-five empty coal trains
passed through Reading from Port Richmond,
and thirty loaded trains from the coal regions
Some of the latter have been standing the
sidlngs north of Reading for the past few days
and are now being moved. The notice of Chair |
man Lee of the executive com mttee to assem-
blies of the knights of Labor revoking the
order to go to work. and once more calling out |
the Philadelphia & Reading men has not |
We. reached Reading, 1t will not
who have already refused to go, and by their |
action on Monday broke the backbone of the |
strike They are all at work today. The call
for a Reading railroad employees convention to |
meet here, to morrow. for aggressive measures
against the company. has not created much ex-
cleInent IN this city. and the indications are that
1t will be very slimly attended, the orders of
the company strict TO the effect that the
must remain duty and attend no such
vention during working hours. The miners will
be most largely represented The fact that
about thirty members of the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Engineers obtained engines held by
Knights has made the feeling between these
parties verss bitter. Probably 300 new hands
have been employed at the Office in this city In
place of old ones and sent TO points where they
were needed.
A, Philadelphia and Port Richmond.
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 28-General Manager
Mcleod of the Philadelphia & Reading Rail-
road Company, said, this morning, that the op-
GRAFTON of the road is almost without obstruc-
struction. From other sources in the compauy's
general Offices it learned that twenty-five
north bound trains and twenty-three south
bound coal trains were moved yesterday, as well
as all freight that had accumulated in this city,
An official said thas the men were not generally
obeying the order of the Knights to quit work
again, because the company had publicly guaran-
teed them protection. and that there were suf1i-
cient men at work this morning to carry on the op-
erations of the road properly. A leading official
OF the company declared that he had not heard
anything III reference TO the reported order for
a renewal of the strike. He doubted the ssu-
ance of such order, and said: 'It can have
serious effect, as at least one-half the men
DOW at work are new men. and would not be
governed by any action of a Knights of Labor
committee. If such thing should happen we
would be slightly crippled in service, and
that only for short time. as am assured that
it will only be matter of few days until q
full force could be secured, and thorough fill
ing of all requirements obtained"
a number OF the men engaged at work at the
Reading company's coal wharves at Port Rich
mond again quit work this afternoon. The
train dispatcher there. however, states that
seven engines were laid off by the company's
orders that the thought this meant a
strike, and many left work but that they are
going back as fast as they are told the facts.
The strikers who resumed work yesterday re-
ported for duty usual at Port Richmond this
The freight along the wharves was
handled usual, and in the round house all
was hustle and activity: There were gather
ings of knights at one two of tho headquar-
ters, where there was much growing at
the discharge OF their leaders and
numerous declarations of willingness to
resume the strike. but formal meetings were
held, and no action toward again calling the
men out was taken. There is plenty of discon-
tent over the situation and this afternoon seven
of the fourteen crews In charge of engines at :
Port Richmond ran them on sidines and aban
doneG them. Superintendent keim at
went to the wharf and personally thanked the
crews of the other seven engines for their 10y
atty, and told them that if they thought it un
safe to remain their engines for a time their
places would be held open for them Mr.. Keim
also called in the aid of fifty Pinkerton detectives
TO protect the property and the men at work.
About 500 men guarding the company's !
yards and wharyes. They are in citizens dress,
and are thus enabled to keep posted to the !
plans of the strikers, which they report TO the !
officials from time to time. The loyal employees
IF the company to be supplied with clubs for
,elf-detense. .
Around Port Richmond tonight quiet pre-
walls xerywhere. a largely attended meeting
IF local assembly 62S5, which is the largest
,n the leading lines, held this evening. and
lid not end until nearly midnight. This assem- .
DIV Is comnosed of ali of the emnloves around